I'm Yu Yu -- the webmaster of BYFC's main site and 'Admin' for this blog. I'm based out of India in the City of Joy, otherwise known as Kolkata (the name was changed from Calcutta a couple of years back). I've been organizing/facilitating/helping out/volunteering/working with BYFC since 1999 when I was a 16 yr old high school student in New York City. I got involved when my film FRAGMENTS OF THE SPIRIT - a 16mm student film about Paul Robeson -- was screened at the famous BYFC Film Salon in the Spike Lee Auditorium at Long Island University in Brooklyn -- across from the world famous Junior's restaurant (NY cheesecake!).
From my first contact, I believed in BYFC's mission to do give job training and film education to ordinary folks in the community. What's unique about BYFC is the intergenerational learning approach. Back then we weren't a "501(c)(3)" yet, but we got together as friends, neighbors and filmmakers to organize salons, readings, and scriptwriting workshops.
I came to India when my father -- a Burmese diplomat -- was assigned to Kolkata. But my heart has never really left NYC. Staying in touch with Trayce and becoming web master for BYFC helps me to be closer to New York City. I'll be adding a dash of "masala" every now and then to this blog. I am a writer now by profession. I mainly write for online marketing and for websites. I dabble a little bit in web design and coding. In my free time, with my bro, I help build and maintain websites for other non-profit organizations in addition to BYFC.
We recently built the website for Elaan - a non-profit organization that is run mainly by youth and students. Elaan is a Hindi word that means "announcement " or "declaration". And Elaan's mission is to do exactly that -- raise awareness about child sexual abuse in India. It is the first of it's kind in terms of being both grassroots and an organization that is run by youth. The kinds of sexual abuse we deal with are physical, verbal and online. In addition Elaan runs workshops to educate parents and the community, raise awareness on HIV/AIDS, and for intervention through sexual education. There are a lot of cultural taboos in India where you can't really talk about "sex". Or a notion that, "Oh that sort of stuff can't happen in my circle -- It only happens to poor people." Another unheard of thing is that Elaan is run by a group of young people. The board and its officers are all young -- something unheard of in a culture/country that values more so than anything else "qualifications" -- pieces of paper with degrees and awards written on them. Please visit the Elaan website to know more. Right before celebrating it's 3rd birthday in July, Elaan received the Indian equivalent of a '501(c)(3)'. Like BYFC, there's a lot of work ahead for them, and like BYFC, they could use financial help.
As for BYFC, it's been great fun to be a part of this growing community -- even if I'm on the other side of the world. Getting our own non-profit status two years ago was an achievement. And getting a website up was a great team effort between New York and Kolkata. Now this blog is our venture to help BYFC to become known in the so-called "web 2.0" world. Trayce and I have been "meeting" online on a regular basis to develop and bring you more online resources and news to help guide you into the world of filmmaking and film careers. But BYFC is not just a learning center. It's not just a place to discuss films or writing. It is a place to network not only with people from the filmmaking community, but it is also a place to network with people in your community who also want to learn and might have something to teach. Remember, filmmaking is a collaborative art, unlike other art forms. It is also a science -- A science of suspense, light, photography, emotions all mixed into one big "masala", or mixture, where the final product is seen on the silver screen.
I hope you will enjoy journeying with us, as much as we've enjoyed our journey. You can join us on a regular basis by subscribing to our feed via a feedreader of your choice or email. This is a free service that will send the latest blog post to you from our blog to your email if you've subscribed to your email. A feed reader is a syndiction service that you can have in your computer (you probably have one if you use Firefox.) If you want to learn more about feed reader click here. If you want to go ahead and subscribe to the BYFC blog via email click here.
You can also contribute to building BYFC's online community. When you read our posts, please send us your comments. If you would like to be part of the flesh & blood BYFC community you can take our classes and attend our events -- Link to classes and salons. If you are a fundraiser or a funding source who would like to talk with Brooklyn Young Filmmakers about helping us open a Career Guidance & Networking Center for Careers in Brooklyn, please email or call us: wearebyfc@gmail.com (718)935-0490.
We're also looking for guest posts on our blog. If you're a filmmaker or film professional interested in contributing an article please leave a comment on the blog or email us: wearebyfc@gmail.com. If you are a filmmaker or film professional who would like to be a guest speaker or mentor, or who is looking for PAs for a shoot, you can also email or call us: wearebyfc@gmail.com (718)935-0490.
That's all from me for now. There's still a lot of things to cover and write about so stay tuned and visit us often. If you feel there's something we need to talk/write about or if you have questions regarding filmmaking and/or community building let us know. Treat this blog as an open forum.
Labels: About Us
I feel like a nervous pianist, sitting in front of an amazing new instrument. I have been told it has the power to resonate across the world. My nervous hands hover over keys. I’m testing now my sounds. Can I communicate heart and mind to others? And do they want to know mine?
This is my first blog entry, ever. But I’ve been reading everywhere about the potential power of blogs. The goal of Brooklyn Young Filmmakers Center’s blog is to test out the “THE POWER OF US” (see the BYFC News, Winter 2007). We are a non-profit run by volunteers of diverse ages, mostly women of color. We are working to open up a Career Guidance & Networking Center for jobs in film that will serve both adults and teens. This blog will help us get out information about film careers and film literacy to working-class people – and we hope it will help us raise support to open our center.
Me, I’m a middle-age, working-class black woman. I have no health plan or savings. I have very irregular income based on freelancing jobs and teaching. I’m a renter hanging by fingertips in rapidly gentrifying Fort Greene, Brooklyn. I came to New York to study filmmaking after a first career in California in social work (rape and family violence). While scrambling for survival work, I took all kinds of filmmaking and acting courses, here and there, and got firsthand experience as a PA on low budget productions. I made two uneven short films years ago. And I have scripts I have written sitting in a stack on my shelf. Pretty impressive, huh?
Well, I’m also founder/director of Brooklyn Young Filmmakers. I’m a systems thinker and a dreamer, and a pretty damn good teacher and writer. And for some years, through the educational activities of BYFC, I’ve been talking to and studying filmmakers on all levels, from junior high school level to union level.
One of my co-conspirators, Yu Yu, is also co-moderator of this blog and the BYFC webmaster. She’s handling her end from India, where she now lives. She’s worked with me on BYFC since she was a 16 yr old youth media producer here in New York --she’s now 25.
Stay tuned, and you will be meeting a passionate group of co-conspirators who believe that filmmaking and film studies can be used as an incredible vehicle for changing the lives of working class people – even if they never go into film careers.
This is my first blog entry, ever. But I’ve been reading everywhere about the potential power of blogs. The goal of Brooklyn Young Filmmakers Center’s blog is to test out the “THE POWER OF US” (see the BYFC News, Winter 2007). We are a non-profit run by volunteers of diverse ages, mostly women of color. We are working to open up a Career Guidance & Networking Center for jobs in film that will serve both adults and teens. This blog will help us get out information about film careers and film literacy to working-class people – and we hope it will help us raise support to open our center.
Me, I’m a middle-age, working-class black woman. I have no health plan or savings. I have very irregular income based on freelancing jobs and teaching. I’m a renter hanging by fingertips in rapidly gentrifying Fort Greene, Brooklyn. I came to New York to study filmmaking after a first career in California in social work (rape and family violence). While scrambling for survival work, I took all kinds of filmmaking and acting courses, here and there, and got firsthand experience as a PA on low budget productions. I made two uneven short films years ago. And I have scripts I have written sitting in a stack on my shelf. Pretty impressive, huh?
Well, I’m also founder/director of Brooklyn Young Filmmakers. I’m a systems thinker and a dreamer, and a pretty damn good teacher and writer. And for some years, through the educational activities of BYFC, I’ve been talking to and studying filmmakers on all levels, from junior high school level to union level.
One of my co-conspirators, Yu Yu, is also co-moderator of this blog and the BYFC webmaster. She’s handling her end from India, where she now lives. She’s worked with me on BYFC since she was a 16 yr old youth media producer here in New York --she’s now 25.
Stay tuned, and you will be meeting a passionate group of co-conspirators who believe that filmmaking and film studies can be used as an incredible vehicle for changing the lives of working class people – even if they never go into film careers.
To you, we may seem to be walking in Don Quixote’s footsteps, as we refuse to be sidetracked by the statistics and boxes that society, and too often funding sources, judge by. Usually the value of a program is determined by what can be reduced to numbers and neatly fitted into a tight category. Who wants to fund discussion and research; development of curriculum and informational handouts; and intergenerational educational forums and networking opportunities? (Please let us know!) We’ve been doing it as volunteers, with a few small grants and lots of in-kind help from community institutions and film professionals.
Say, do you know how many community centers the New York City Housing Authority ( www.nyc.gov/nycha ) has in Brooklyn alone? Over fifty! Brooklyn Young Filmmakers has an office in the Whitman Center, a NYCHA community center in the basement of a public housing residential building. It’s right off Myrtle Avenue, across the street from Fort Greene Park. This may be more geographical info than you want, especially if you are across the world – but you are forewarned! The BYFC blog is also going to be about location. It’s a great part of who we are --Rah! Brooklyn! Rah! (see Director's Message for more information)
We believe we can nurture a lot of birds from one hand. So what will our blog be about? Film / careers / students / teaching / funding / survival / location / community / India / links / how you can support us. It’s all fair game, because it’s our game. We also will be alerting you, as bit by bit, we add more info to our website. Don’t miss our new Summer 2007 issue of the BYFC News, which features my interview with John Ford, former Property Master and current President of Local 52 (Don’t know who Local 52 represents? – Then check it out!).
Well, I’ve written my first blog entry. And now we play tag. Who will send me the first comment? --- BklynTAG (Trayce Allyson Gardner)
p.s.
Plus check out Video Jug for some great short instructional videos on filmmaking and scriptwriting.
Alfred Hitchcock’s birthday is today, August 13th (born in 1899). To learn more about the vision and techniques of the director who put Freud into the movies see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Hitchcock and http://hitchcock.tv/ The last film for Bryant Park’s outdoor summer screening series is PSYCHO on August 20th (Manhattan, 42nd & 6th Avenue, sundown)
Say, do you know how many community centers the New York City Housing Authority ( www.nyc.gov/nycha ) has in Brooklyn alone? Over fifty! Brooklyn Young Filmmakers has an office in the Whitman Center, a NYCHA community center in the basement of a public housing residential building. It’s right off Myrtle Avenue, across the street from Fort Greene Park. This may be more geographical info than you want, especially if you are across the world – but you are forewarned! The BYFC blog is also going to be about location. It’s a great part of who we are --Rah! Brooklyn! Rah! (see Director's Message for more information)
We believe we can nurture a lot of birds from one hand. So what will our blog be about? Film / careers / students / teaching / funding / survival / location / community / India / links / how you can support us. It’s all fair game, because it’s our game. We also will be alerting you, as bit by bit, we add more info to our website. Don’t miss our new Summer 2007 issue of the BYFC News, which features my interview with John Ford, former Property Master and current President of Local 52 (Don’t know who Local 52 represents? – Then check it out!).
Well, I’ve written my first blog entry. And now we play tag. Who will send me the first comment? --- BklynTAG (Trayce Allyson Gardner)
p.s.
Plus check out Video Jug for some great short instructional videos on filmmaking and scriptwriting.
Alfred Hitchcock’s birthday is today, August 13th (born in 1899). To learn more about the vision and techniques of the director who put Freud into the movies see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Hitchcock and http://hitchcock.tv/ The last film for Bryant Park’s outdoor summer screening series is PSYCHO on August 20th (Manhattan, 42nd & 6th Avenue, sundown)
What Hitchcock said to a woman who complained that PSYCHO’s shower scene so frightened her daughter that the girl would no longer shower: "Then Madam I suggest you have her dry cleaned."
Labels: About Us
